Performance Test

The AMS provides with jBEAM an evaluation program by which performance tests can be carried out in the field of aviation.

Figure1: Time course of starts with the measured variables acceleration, speed and height in jBEAM

Specific position data, which are useful for different analyses, can be recorded with inexpensive yet powerful GPS loggers (e.g. BadElf incl. EGNOS). If other recording devices are available, which include for example engine or consumption data, these data sources can be synchronized and jointly used for analyses. Particularly interesting are combined recordings with numerical and video data that enable synchronized evaluations. The AMS offers with jBEAM an evaluation program with which derived variables can be simply calculated. Thus, for example the acceleration during takeoff can be determined from the velocity variation and simultaneously filtered for better visualization.

Performance tests are available in different areas. In aviation, performance tests are performed regarding rate of climb at different heights.In addition to the acceleration, headwind component and aircraft mass are among other things interesting quantities for the starting process of an aircraft. These metrological and associated geographical data during takeoff can be represented graphically by jBEAM.

Figure 1 shows a starting procedure of a Commander 114 with three people on board. The three cursor define the takeoff run (blue to red) and the acceleration to rate of ascend (red to green). The appropriate distances are colored in the geographical representation green or red. The speed (red), which is calculated from geo data, was averaged to get a smoothed curve (black). The smoothed speed was differentiated and averaged again (purple). The correlated heights are shown in blue.